Electrical switch device for lamp sockets



1948- I w. KAUFMAN 2,446,768

ELECTRICAL SWITCH DEVICE FOR LAMP SOCKETS Filed Jan. 11, 1946 =ficq. E

iqnnnwqw INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 10, 1948 so STATES TENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL SWITCH DEVICE FOR LAMP SOCKETS Application January 11, 1946, Serial No. 640,413

6 Claims; (01. 200-5114) My invention relates to a new and improved electrical switch, and in particular to an improved lamp-socket switch.

According to my invention, I provide a lampsocket or other device which includes a switch, with an external ring or other externaland hand-operated control member, which can be turned back-and-forth in respective reverse directions, relative to a selected axis, such as the longitudinal axis of the lamp-socket. In the case of a lamp-socket, such respective movements of said hand-operated member respectively open and close the circuit of the lamp, whose base is screwed into or otherwise fixed to said lamp socket. The invention is not limited to a screw-type lamp-socket.

Another object of my invention is to provide a very simple and convenient device which can be manufactured and assembled at lowcost;

Numerous additional objects and advantages of my invention will be set forth in the annexed description and drawings, which illustrate a preembodiment thereof.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a lamp-socket which includes my improvements.

Fig. 2 is an internal view on the line 2-2 f Fig. 1. In this view, the control-member is in circuit-closing position.

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2, showing thecont-rolmember in the circuit-opening position;

The arrows in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 indicate the direction in which the ring l i has been turned, in order to move the ring ll to-its respective circuit-closing and circuit-opening positions which are shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 6-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig.

Fig. 6 is a section on the'line 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an internal view on the line L-l' of Fig. 5.

The drawings are to scale, and reference is made thereto for details.

The invention is illustrated in connection with a lamp-socket, but it is not limited to-thisuse;.

The socket comprisesan outer casing l-,.which is made of any suitable insulating material. The drawings show the longitudinal axisofsaid casing l in the vertical position. Said casing Ihas the usual internal threads at its open bottom or front end-portion, by means of which the usual conductive metal shell 2 is fixed to said casing E, at the front opening of said casing, I. Said casing I may be replaced by any suitable support.

As shown in Fig. 4, a part of said metal shell 2' is extended integrally rearwardlybeyond the point 3, in order to provide a partial cylindrical extension 4-, which hasa partial horizontal and integral head 5.

Said casing I has an integral and lateral top wall 55 which is also made of insulating material. Said lateral top-wall E5 is located rearwardly of the bottom open end of the casing and it'is provided with a longitudinal axial bore, inwhich the central contact I is located. Said central contact l is made of any suitable metal, and in this embodiment it is of hollow and of eyelet construction, so thatv it is easily fixed to wall 6. A resilient contact spring 8, made of any suitable metal, has. the angular, bent formation shown in Fig. 4. The upper leg of said contact spring 8 is fixed to the bottom surface of the top-wall 6 oi'the' casing l, by means of the lower end of said metal? eyelet-contact. 'l.

The switch-spring 9. is a resilient blade spring, which is made of any suitable metal. It has two end-legs it. As shown in Fig. 4-, the central contact i is provided with a longitudinal or axial slot or recess, rearwardiy of the wall The top of this slot or recess may be closed. The endlegs: Ill 01" the switch spring 9 are located in said longitudinal slot ofthe fixedcontact i. This slot. onrecess and these end-legs is. provide a pivotfor the switch-spring 9, so that it can be turned relative to the contact l, ring II and casing: l, into either of the positions shown in Fig; 2 and in Fig. 3.. The resilience of the spring 9 biases. its end-legs it away from each other, so that said end-legs Iii abut the respective vertical walls of. said vertical slot or recess at all times, to ensure good electrical. contact. Said spring e a'lso'ha's an-cuter peak to, between camlegs' and 9d.

The top-wall 6 is provided with a shoulder, upon which the hand-operated control ring ll rests turnably; This ring II is made of insulating material. As shown in Figs; 2'and 3, s-aid control ring H is' provided with an internal springoperating tooth [2, which is located'between respective internal stop-teeth Mandi 5 of said control ring H. The top-wall 6 is providedwith integral ribs l6 and Wu. When the ring- H and the spring 9 are in their respective circuit-closing positions of Fig. 2, the tooth l l' abuts a part of rib I6. Said tooth I4 and said part of rib l6 constitute stop-means for preventing the movement of ring ll. beyond its circuit-closing position. When the ring H and thespring 9' are in. their-respective circuit-opening positions of Fig. 3; the tooth IS-abuts'rib IGa', thus providingstopmeans for preventing the movement of ring ll beyond its circuit-opening position. A stationary electrical contact I'I, made of any suitable metal, is fixed to the top-wall 6 by means of a hollow and vertical bushing I8, whose longitudinal internal wall is tapped. As shown in Fig. 5, the upper end of said bushing I8 has an enlarged head. The shank of a turnable binding screw I9 can be releasably connected to the internal thread of the bushing I8. One of the wires 29 is physically and electrically connected to a supplemental hollow, metal bushing 2I by means of a binding screw 22. Said supplemental bushing 2I is fixed to top-wall 6 and to the top-wall or head of the metal shell '2. As shown in Fig. 4, the lower end of the supplemental bushing is enlarged to clamp the metal top-wall or head 5 of metal shell 2.

A cap 23, whose bottom end-portion 25 is knurled, is fixed to the casing I by means of a clamping screw 25. The shank of this screw 25 extends through a bore in the top-wall 5 of the metal shell 2, and through an alined bore of the insulating top wall 6, and into a tapped bore 23d of cap 23. Said cap 23 has a central bore 2312. Cap 23 is made of insulating material.

When the device is assembled, the ring II can be turned easily through a limited angle, around the longitudinal vertical axis of the casing I, relative to casing I and cap 23. In this embodiment, the lamp-socket is of the screw type. When the metal base of the lamp is screwed into the metal shell 2, the central contact at one end of the filament of the lamp will abut and make electrical contact with the metal blade spring 8. The other contact at the other end of the filament will be connected through its metal base to the metal shell 2, and therefore to 2. respective wire 29, by the supplemental bushing 2| and its metal binding screw 22. Said wires 20 are respectively connected to the respective terminals of the source of electricity. The switch-spring 9 is always electrically connected to the central contact I. Therefore, when the switch-spring 9 abuts the contact I I, as shown in the circuit-closing position of Fig. 2, the circuit of the lamp will be closed. When the switch-spring 9 is in the circuit-opening position shown in Fig. 3, the circuit of the lamp will be opened. When spring 9 is in the circuit-opening position of Fig. 3, said spring 9 abuts a part of rib I6, so that this part of rib IS provides means for. limiting the movement of spring 9 beyond its circuit-opening position.

When the ring II is in either of the two positions shown in Fig. 2 or Fig. 3, the resilient spring 9 presses against the tooth I2 at one of the camlegs of the spring 9, thus biasing the spring 9 and the ring I I to remain in the respective position of Fig. 2 or of Fig. 3. The spring 9 therefore operates not only as a circuit-closing spring, but also releasably to maintain the ring II in either of the two selected positions shown in Fig. 2 and in Fig, 3.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When the spring 9 is in its circuit-opening position of Fig. 3, tooth I2 abuts cam-leg 9d between its inner end and its outer end, and tooth I2 inwardly forces said cam-leg 901, so as to inwardly compress spring 9. The cam-legs 9c and 9d have proximate ends, which meet to form a peak 9a in this embodiment. Saidcam-legs 9c and 9d also have respective remote ends, which are closer radially to the longitudinal axis of central contact I than said proximate ends of said cam-legs 9c and 9d. The tooth I2 is radially closer to said axis than said proximate end of said cam-legs 9c and 9d. Spring 9 is therefore firmly held against a part of the fixed insulating rib IS in its circuitopening position of Fig. 3, and it is biased to turn counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 3. The reaction of the compressed spring 9 biases ring I I to turn clockwise as viewed in Fig. 3, so that stoptooth' I5 is held firmly against a part of the insulating rib Him. The spring 9 then biases ring II to its circuit-opening position.

In order to close the circuit between elements I and I 1, ring II is turned counterclockwise from its position of Fig. 3, to the position of Fig. 2, until stop-tooth I4 abuts a part of the insulating stop I6. During the first part of this counterclockwise turning movement of ring II, as it is viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, its internal tooth I2 rides in sliding engagement with cam-leg 9d, thus additional- 1y. compressing spring 9 inwardly, until tooth I2 abuts the peak 9a, which is sharply angular. The reaction of spring 9 then sharply snaps said spring 9 to turn clockwise, as soon as tooth I2 passes peak 9a in this circuit-closing movement of ring II, so that said spring 9 is snapped into circuitclosing contact with the conductive member II. When tooth I2 abuts cam-leg 9c, the reaction of the compressed spring 9 urges the ring II to turn counterclockwise until its stop-tooth I4 abuts a part of the rib I6.

The spring 9 is compressed in each of its respective positions shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, so as to hold the respective stop-tooth I4 or I5, firmly against a part of the respective rib I6 or IBa.

In each position of spring 9 shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, it is biased by its resilience to turn either towards or away from the conductive member I1, and the ring II is biased to turn in a direction which is opposed to the direction of biased turning of the spring 9.

The more important feature is the cam-leg 9c, whereby the spring 9 is held in contact with the conductive member II.

In this embodiment, the spring 9 is optionally constructionally connected to the conductive member I, in addition to being electrically connected to said member I. The electrical connection is the more important feature.

If a circle were drawn through the peak 9a, said circle having its center on the longitudinal axis of casing I, being in a plane perpendicular to the common longitudinal axis of rotation of spring 9 and ring I I, the tip of tooth I2 would be located inwardly of said circle. Both cam-legs 9c and 9d are located inwardly of said circle, so that said cam-legs 9c and 9d are inclined inwardly to each other. The invention is not limited to a device in which the proximate ends of the cam-legs 9c and 9d form a sharply defined peak 9a.

For convenience in defining the invention in the claims, certain parts and movements are defined as follows:

The position of control-member II in Fig. 2 is designated as its circuit-closing position, to which member I I is turned forwardly or counterclockwise, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3. Said control-member II is turned reversely or clockwise, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, to its circuit-opening position.

The tooth I4 and the respective part of rib I8 constitute first stop-means for the control-member II. The tooth I5 and the respective part of rib I6a constitute second stop-means for said control-member II.

The blade spring 9 extends radially outwardly from the selected axis around which the control-' member H and spring 9 are turned.

The conductive member l? is designated as the The member 1 is second conductive member. designated as the first conductive member.

The cam-leg 9c is designated as the first camturnable reversely aroundzsaidifixe'd axis toa circuit opening Ypositiomx-first stop-means I which leg and the cam-leg 9d is designated as the second cam-leg. The second cam-leg 9:1 is locatedintermediate the first cam-leg Scandthe second=conductive member IT.

The tooth I2 is a projection which compressesthe blade spring 9 radially inwardly.

The first cam-leg 9c is proximate to the'tooth M of the first stop-means and the second cam-leg 9d is proximate to the tooth l5 of the secondstopmeans.

When the control-member II is in circuit-'closing position, the part or projection l2" abuts the first cam-leg 90 between its ends.

When the control-member I I is in circuit -opening position, the part or projection l2 abuts thesecond cam-leg 9d, between its ends.

When the spring 9 abuts the second conductive member IT, as shown in Fig. 2, the circuit of the lamp is as follows, since the respective wires-20 are connected to the respective terminals of a source of electric current:

" limit-said forward't'urning' movement of said control memb'ertbeyond said circuit-closing position,

1 --secondstop-incans whichlimit saidreverse turningwmovement of 'said :control-member. beyond saidmircuit-zopening position','a conductive bladespringlwhichl extends radially outwardly from said :fixed axis,1 said springubeingradially com- -pressible andbein'giturnableabout "said fixed axis and being electrically connectd toisaid first conductive -member,said spring beingturnable to- 1 wards:saidsecond'conductive member tc'abut said second conductivememberlina circuit-closing position of'said spring; said spring being turnable awayriro-msaidz second conductive member to a circuitopemngi position of said spring, limiting Im'eans "which. limit said last-mentioned turning movement-ref said spring to a selected. limited angle, saidspring having" a firstrcam-leg and a second. cameleg', said: cam-legs having proximate ends andremoteends', Saidcam-Iegsbeing in- ..clineditoseach other, the remoteends of said camlegs being-radially closer to said axis than said proximate ends. of. said cam-legs, said control member having a projection, said projection being One wire 20-conductive bushing 2lhead 5 extension 4-shell 2-meta1 base of the lamp, through the filament of the lamp to the center contact of the lamp which is insulated from its radially: closer to: said axis than :said proximate ends Ofifiaid cam-legs, said second cam-leg being located: intermediatecsaidifirst cam-leg and said metal base-spring 8-first conductive member 1--spring 9-second conductive member i'l-conductive bushing iii-other wire 20.

The invention is not limited to a device in which the control member H and the switch-member 9 turn about the same axis. Likewise, th -invention includes every type of turnable switch-mam ber which has outwardly biased cam-legsQc and 912, which bias the switch-member 9 and the con:

trol-member H to turn in respective opposed di- I'BCtiOIlS.

The peak 9a slidably abuts a part of an edge wall of cap 23, so as to guide the turning'movement of spring 9, and to prevent the peak 911 from moving upwardly relative to the cap 23.

socket-device.

tive material, this is not necessary.

The invention is not limited to a switch-member which is made wholly of conductive material,

because it is sufficient if said switch-member can Like-' electrically connect the contacts I and I1. wise, the invention is not limited to a switchmember which has integral cam-legs or cammembers 90 and 9d. It is suificient if said camlegs or cam-members are biased towards the contacting part l2 of the control member, and if said cam-legs or cam-members respectively bias the control-member and the switch-member to turn in respective opposed directions.

Numerous changes and omissions and additions can be made in and to the preferred disclosure, without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a switch, the combination of a non-conductive support, a first conductive member fixed to said support, a second conductive member fixed to said support, said conductive members being spaced from each other, a control-member which is turnably connected to said support, said control-member being turnable forwardly around a fixed axis to a circuit-closing position and being second conductive member,- said projection substantially abuttingsaidfirst cam-leg between its ends .whemsaid control-member and said spring arein their circuit-closing positions, said projectionsubstantiallyabutting said second cam-leg between itsends when said control-member and said-spring :are in their respective circuit-opening positions,.=said spring being turned reversely to said control-member when said control-member .is turnedtfrom-one of its=said-positions to the .other.

2. .:A switch according :to claim 1, in which said blade spring is J pivotally connected to said first conductivemember.

3. A switch: according to claim 1, in which said sbladeispring has legs which are located in a recess ofasaidfirstrconductive member, said legs providing thew-electrical connection and also a 1 pivotal connection between said blade spring and SaidfirstJconductiVemember.

4."- In a switch,zthe"combination of a non-conductive'support; a first conductive-member and a second conductive member; said conductivemem- 'bers-being'fixed to saidsupport and' being spaced and insulated from: each other; a control-member which is turnably connected to said support, said control-member being turnable forwardly around a longitudinal axis to a circuit-closing position and bein turnable reversely about said longitudinal axis to a circuit-opening position, a first stop which limits said forward turning movement beyond said circuit-closing position, a second stop which limits said reverse turning movement beyond said circuit-opening position, a turnable and conductive switch-member which is turnably connected to said support and which is turnable to a position in which it electrically connects said conductive members, said switch-member being also turnable reversely from its said position to open the circuit between said conductive members, said switch-member having a first camleg and a second cam-leg, said cam-legs being biased radially outwardly from the axis around which said switch-member turns, said cam-legs having proximate ends and being inclined towards each other from their proximate ends, said first cam-leg being proximate to said first stop, said second cam-leg being proximate to said second stop, said control-member having a part thereof which abuts said first cam-leg when said first stop is operative and said control-member is in circuit-closing position, said part abutting said second cam-leg when said second stop is operative and said control-member is in circuit-opening position, said switch-member being turned reversely to said control-member when said control-member is turned from one of its said positions to the other position thereof, each said cam-leg being shaped so that its outward biasing force biases said control-member and said switch-member to turn in respective opposed directions.

5. A lamp socket which includes a casing which is made of insulating material and which is open at its front end to admit the base of an electric lamp which has a central lamp contact and a side lamp contact, said casing having respective casing-contacts which respectively abut said respective lamp contacts when the lamp is operatively inserted into said casing, said casing having a longitudinal axis and a lateral end-wall which is located rearwardly of said front end, one of said casing-contacts being fixed to said endwall and being alined with said axis, said alined casing-contact extending rearwardly through said end-wall and having a longitudinal recess which is located rearwardly of said end-wall, a conductive blade spring which has legs which engage said alined casing-contact at said recess to connect said blade spring electrically and pivotally to said alined casing-contact, an additional contact fixed to said end-wall, said blade spring being turnable about said axis to a circuit-closing position to abut said additional contact and being turnable away from said additional contact to a circuit-opening position, a non-conductive rear cap which is fixed to said end-wall, a non: conductive and exposed ring which is located forwardly of said cap and which is turnable relative to said casing about said axis to a circuitclosing position and also to circuit-opening position, said blade spring having a first cam-leg and a second cam-leg at its outer end, said cam-legs having a common peak and also having respective remote ends, said remote ends being radially closer to said axis than said peak, the second cam-leg being located intermediate said first cam-leg and said additional contact, said endwall and said ring having respective stop-means for limiting the movement of said ring beyond its said respective positions, said end-wall also having limiting means for limiting the movement of said spring beyond its circuit-opening position, said ring having an inner projection which is radially closer to said axis than said peak, said inner projection substantially abutting said first cam-leg between its ends when said ring and said spring are in circuit-closing positions, said projection substantially abutting said second cam-leg between its ends when said ring and said spring are in circuit-opening positions.

6. An electrical socket-device which comprises a, casing made of insulating material, a controlmember turnably connected to said casing, said control-member being exposed for manipulation, a first conductive member and a second conductive member located in said casing, said casing and said control-member having cooperating stop-means to limit the turning movement of said control-member relative to said casing in respective opposed directions between a respective circuit-opening position and a respective circuit-closing position, a conductive switch member located in said casing and turnably connected to said casing, said switch-member being electrically connected to said first conductive member and being turnable relative to said casing to abut said second conductive member in a circuitclosing position and being also reversely turnable away from said second conductive member to a circuit-opening position, said casing having limiting means which limit said reverse turning-movement of said switch-member beyond its circuit-opening position, said switch-member having a first cam-member, said first cam-member abutting a, part of said control-member when said control-member is in its circuit-closing position, said second cam-member abutting said part when said control-member is in its circuitopening position, said cam-members being biased away from the axis around which said switchmember turns and being biased towards said part, each cam-member being shaped and located to bias said control-member and said switchmember to turn in respective opposed directions.

WILLIAM KAUFMAN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Schutt Dec. 14, 1897 Number 

